Verster, Empowering the poor: The Bible and the poor in informal settlements ...- “I think we expect to see the church caring and loving. The church should
start or develop projects that can help members of the church, especially
those who are poor or in need. We have talents; they can ask us what we can
do. Churches must try to communicate with their members and society in
order to hear their problems. They should provide us with money to buy
food, or they can buy food parcels, blankets and deliver it to their members,
especially those who are in need.” - Unity was regarded as essential by many to reach a new future.
- The research was continued by asking people on the streets randomly about
the church’s role and the implications of the involvement of the church in
the community. - People on the streets’ view of the surviving: Where do they get their food
from? Most have to buy their food, but some cultivate food gardens. A very
high percentage of reviewees had no jobs or only part time jobs. Most peo-
ple reviewed belonged to a church but many said that the problem is that
they have no buildings. A very high percentage referred to the fact that the
church does help them in their need. - The church helps with food, spiritual involvement and transport. Regarding
the future many said that projects can be beneficial, but also care groups
will of help. They expect the future to be better if more projects could be
started, as well as helping people to find unity and love.
Brother- and sisterhood in the informal areas are very important. In the
empirical data, it was found that people often said that it was the people
themselves, the poor that looked after one another and looked after one
another’s needs. The poor in the informal settlements have certain struc-
tures in which they deal with the needs of people. For instance: The
Bishop of a very small independent church in Mangaung’s informal
settlement has a ministry of healing and of helping the poor. Having a
brick making business, she tends to look after the poor in that way.
Linked with her healing ministry, she deals with the poor in different
ways. People come to her to be healed and to be helped, and she helps
them. Brother- and sisterhood are practiced in a new way in this situa-
tion.
New hope can only come about in such a situation in informal settle-
ments if it is possible to inspire people to look beyond their present
situation and to look to another situation in which it can be improved. It
is not easy to come from outside. Often people expect government to
bring about a new situation, but on the streets in the community of the
church, the church is present among the people and the church, by
being present, can help the people to get enough to feed themselves
from the little means that they have by sharing with one another.